Demographics

1,500 members of the infoPLANT questionnaire panel responded to the survey. The sample was balanced 50:50 male and female in each age group, and exactly 20% in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and sixties or older.

I’m surprised (actually, I’m not surprised, really) by the top holiday information source being television travel programs. I remember back in the UK the travel programs would have the staff joining a standard tour, sometimes with family, often staying in middle-of-the-road hotels, and participating in the usual activities that the average holidaymaker might take part in, resulting in a review that I personally could trust; here in Japan the traveller gets the best room, professionaly lit to highlight everything, eat off the top of the menu with the chef or owner hovering over the table, and get the one-on-one guided tour of the sites, declaring everything to be absolutely wonderful, including, no doubt, the brown envelopes filled with unmarked bills from the featured businesses. I know of no travel shows that make any attempt to appear genuine.

Research results

Q1: Last year, in which months did you take a day-return holiday? (Sample size=1,094, multiple answer)

January

16.2%

February

15.1%

March

26.1%

April

27.9%

May

37.2%

June

20.6%

July

23.3%

August

34.8%

September

26.6%

October

35.3%

November

25.1%

December

21.6%

The sample size of 1,094 implies that 406 people, or 27.1%, did not take a day-return holiday last year.

Q2: This year, in which month do you most want to take a day-return holiday? (Sample size=1,110, multiple answer)

January

1.2%

February

6.5%

March

11.0%

April

15.6%

May

20.9%

June

5.3%

July

7.4%

August

6.5%

September

4.5%

October

6.5%

November

5.1%

December

1.8%

None in particular

7.5%

The sample size of 1,100 implies that 400 people, or 26.7%, do not want to take a day-return holiday this year, although I’m not sure if the “none in particular” group includes people who will not take a holiday or who aren’t bothered by which month they go in.

Q3: This year, to which region do you most want to take a day-return holiday to? (Sample size=1,110, multiple answer)

Hokkaido

7.0%

Tohoku

5.5%

Kanto

28.0%

Chubu

14.5%

Kinki

23.0%

Chugoku

6.0%

Shikoku

4.1%

Kyushu

9.7%

Okinawa

2.2%

Note how the percentages differ from the previous survey on overnight stays.

Q4: Last year, how many times did you take a one night or more domestic holiday? (Sample size=1,500)

None

27.1%

Once

18.7%

Twice

18.8%

Thrice

12.9%

Four times

4.9%

Five times

6.7%

Six times

2.7%

Seven times

0.9%

Eight times

1.3%

Nine times

0.0%

Ten or more times

6.0%

Q5: From where do you usually obtain information regarding domestic travel? (Sample size=1,500)